FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT LARGEMOUTH BASS - PAGE 3

A federal study released on Wednesday shows fish at Everglades National Park contain dangerous levels of mercury, and park officials said they will issue warnings against eating the fish and may prohibit fishing in portions of the park. The study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found mercury levels significantly higher than the federal safety standard in largemouth bass at the Everglades park and the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge. An advisory warning of the possible dangers of eating fish taken at the refuge has been in effect since March.

A lot of saltwater anglers stayed off the water last week during lobster miniseason to avoid boats and divers. When they returned on the weekend, they found they hadn't been missing much. Freshwater fishing wasn't much better, with the summer rains bringing water levels up and scattering largemouth bass. Some highlights: Al Peranio had to go 14 miles out of Hillsboro Inlet on Saturday to find a weed line, but when he and his wife, Louise, found it they were rewarded with three dolphin, all above 30 pounds.

State scientists have found mercury in soil in the Savannas State Reserve in St. Lucie County, where anglers have been warned not to eat mercury-tainted fish. But the scientists said the preliminary findings are not alarming, and do not answer a key question: Is peat, a soil formed from decomposing plants, a contributing factor to the mercury contamination turning up statewide in largemouth bass? Florida`s mercury task force suspects that mercury occurs naturally in peat. The task force is waiting for the South Florida Water Management District to finish a comprehensive study of sediments to test that theory.

Freshwater anglers can participate in three unusual fishing competitions that started Jan. 1 and run through Aug. 15. The 1994 Big Bass World Championship, designed for non-professional anglers, has a $100,000 grand prize. All you have to do is catch two big largemouth bass. First, you have to enter by filling out an entry form and paying an $18 entry fee (the event is open to any angler over 18 with a valid fishing license). Second, you have to catch a big bass (there is a minimum weight for each state)

At least part of a Lake Okeechobee fish kill in late May may have been the result of speckled perch and other panfish dying of old age and post-spawning stress, state fisheries officials said on Wednesday. Results of laboratory studies by fish pathologists at Auburn University in Alabama found no parasites, bacteria or disease that would have caused a kill, said Don Fox, a fisheries biologist for the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. While there is no way to prove the age-spawn connection, Fox said he "feels very good" about the theory after reviewing the Auburn results.

State scientists are urging Gov. Bob Martinez to create a more powerful, expanded task force to look into mercury contamination in Florida. The state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services is drafting a proposed executive order for Martinez to sign that would convert into a governor`s task force the informal group of state scientists that has headed up the nine-month long search for mercury. "We`re looking at various options now, and that is one," said Brian Ballard, the governor`s director of operations.

Mercury contamination has again been found in South Florida largemouth bass, which confirms similar results on smaller samples taken from Broward County last month, officials said. The latest mercury tests, by the state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, were done on fish taken from both a Palm Beach County Everglades preserve and the sprawling sugar cane growing region that drains into the Everglades, officials said on Wednesday. "Mercury was found again in high levels throughout this set of largemouth bass samples.

WHAT: Largemouth Bass WHERE: Lakes Okeechobee, Ida and Osborne. Fish also have been hitting in residential lakes and canals throughout the area. WHEN: Although fish have been caught all day long, the best action has been early morning and late afternoon. EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Rods and reels handling 12- to 15-pound test line will work well in the open areas. Anglers fishing heavy cover, grass beds or other areas with obstructions should use 20- to 30-pound test line. BAIT: Live wild (golden)

Bass anglers can show off their favorite fish and help Florida wildlife at the same time by purchasing the state's new bass license plate. The plate depicts a largemouth bass, the official state fish, in an eelgrass bed with a bluegill and a redear sunfish, commonly known as a shellcracker. The plate, selected from several entries, was designed by Scott Hiestand, an artist for the Orlando Sentinel. Cost of the plate is $27 more than standard plates, but $25 of that fee will go into the State Game Trust Fund.

Two regulations that would affect local sportsmen were among those proposed for the 1991-92 season by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Friday in Tallahassee. The commission is considering the establishment of a yearly recreational wildlife management area stamp, costing $5, that would be required in any activity other than hunting, fishing or trapping on the J.W. Corbett WMA in northern Palm Beach County. Exemptions would be made for organized groups under contractual agreement, members of the stamp-holder`s immediate family and individuals with the existing $25 WMA stamp.